The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-10-05
0KEFENOKEE.
A QUAKING ISLAND IN GEOR-
GIA'S FAMOUS SWAMP.
The Terrible Adventure Of an Ex.
ploring Party-Engulfed in
Smoking Fissure
Of the Earth.

%
lake whose black waters were ripping
in curious fashion was an island of per-
haps 200 acres, covered with scrubby
bushes. All over the island thin columns
of brown smoke could be seen slowly
rising.
II don't understand what keeps the
water disturbed, said one of the men !;
''there is no breeze"
"Hit am de debbil's owp pot" said
black Sam, looking wild-eyed and ner-
Vons.
We quieted Sam, and put him to work
with the others constructing rude raft
out Of the dead trees which were lying
i around in abundance. In o. short time
the raft was ready, and we padded our
| selves to the island.
| 'Tt shakes" exclaimed Dupont, who
was the first to land.
Sam.was the next one on shore; but he
atonce stepped back on the raft.
"De' Lawd heb mussyp said; 81
KANT STAN dat" u.
Weallfollowed Dupont and dfound that
the island was trembling quite percepti-
bly,:
'PerhaPs it is floating island" sug-
gested one of my companions. !;
'It is, nothing of the kind" Z re-
marked. II have heard of it before, but
we are doubtless the first white men who
have landed here in forty years."
"What do you know about it2"' asked
Dupont, quickly.
"SimplE this: When Sir Charles~Lyell,
the famous British geologist, visited this
country he explored the swamp and ex-
amined this very spot. He found. it
shaking alb the time, with fissures in the
earth constantly opening and closing,
with this same peculiar smoke rising from
them. He came to the conclusion that
the crust Of the earth was thinner right
here than in any locality of the globe.
The volcanic action near the surface
causes the smoke, and also the continual
buildings of the lake. This may have
been going on for centuries. You know
that the Indian word Okefenokee means
trembling earth"
"Well,, I can't say that care to camp
here" said Dupont; "but as we are here
we might as well explore little"
This was the general opinion, and Sam
was persuaded to leave his quarters. on
the raft and trust himself to the unstable
land.
IL have found geyser," reported one
of our explorers, who had been rambling
about on his own hook.
Guided by him, we went to- q little
spring of boiling water that was gushing
forth near the centre of the island With
the water came jets of steam, sand, and
blue mud. At this place the shaking
was so violent that it made us stagger,
and we could hear under OUT feet q
muffled roar or rumble.
'eMarse Ross, gasped Sam, II mus git
cutter heah."
He made run toward the raft, when
small tissure in the earth about foot
wide yawned in front of him. The poor
fellow dropped on the ground in speech
less terror. We helped him up and tried
to reassure him, but it was no use. As
soon as he was calm enough to walk he
made break for the raft.
"Sam is the only sensible fellow in the
party" said Dupont "There is dan
ger of breaking leg in one of these
assures, and I don't see why a man
could not be swallowed up"
laughed at this. Sir Charles Lyell
had spoken of the island as remarkable
curiosity, but had not predicted any Sc
rious outbreak of the forces of nature.
"See that" continued Dupont.
looked. The fssure which had fright
ened Sam had closed up completely. I
drew long breath. In the midst of
such phenomenon a man feels small. Be-:
fore could say anything there was a
aeafening roar, q thousand cracks.
opened in the earth, and the smoke
coming out of the ground was so thick
that we were almost stiAed. Undoubt-
edly it was a genuine shock of earth
quake something altogether different
from the light tremors previously felt.
"We must run for it," shouted. :,
Just then another shock came and
threw US heavily to the ground. We rose
in dazed condition, and saw within
few feet of US a yawning chasm, fully
three feet wide and 100 feet long. II
emitted volume of steam, and with in
conceivable rapidity closed up with
another jar that nearly toppled us over
again.
We started on run for the raft.
"Where is Dupont2"
We all asked this question at once
The raft was in sight, but Sam was the
only occupant. We faced about, but
could see nothing of the missing man.
Had he in his terror taken the wrong
direction? 1t would not do to leave him,
and there was nothing to do but to re-
trace our steps.
We yelled out his name and traversed
every foot of the island. There was not
trace of our friend. We looked at each
other with terror-stricken faces. The
same thought was uppermost in the minds
of all. Had Dupont been swallowed up
in the yawning chasm2 1t looked
very much like it. Again we resumed
our search, but without any better sue
cess than before. Then we gloomily
made our way to the raft and padded to
the other shore. suggested that
Dupont had rushed off when the shock
came, and, blinded by the smoke, he
had perhaps fallen into the lake.
"No, Marse Ross" said Sam, gloomily.
"He's done swallowed up in de bowels
oh dc yairth. Hits done happened befo'.
Use hecred many time dat injuns and
hunters wius lost heah in Just dat way. l
uster laugh at 'em as fairy tales, but I
members dem now, and knows dem fur
de troof"
A hurried search around the lake COM
pelled us to accent Sans explanation,